One of the state’s top defensive backs — Tiger Peterson of Kamehameha Schools — told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser he has accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii football team.

Peterson, who will be a senior this fall, said he plans to graduate in December and enroll at UH in January 2019. The timetable would enable Peterson to participate in the Rainbow Warriors’ offseason conditioning program and spring training.

“There were a lot of factors going into choosing Hawaii,” Peterson said. “The main thing was playing in front of my family. They’ve always been there for me. I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted to continue playing in front of them.”

Peterson’s father, Ronald Peterson, was a standout safety at Waianae High who was named to the All-State first team in 1989 and 1990.

Peterson said he is 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds at the Nike Combine in Texas. At UH, Peterson projects to compete at rover, a hybrid safety/linebacker position.

“Hopefully, I get to rush and drop back in coverage,” Peterson said. “That would be sweet.”

If I'm reading this correctly, he must be a smart kid. He will be a senior in HS, and can graduate in Dec. I assume because he has enough credit. Good for him. Will he even be 18 years old?

This is a football forum, but what about being a kid in High School? That's important too, no?

I guess after Tua Tagovailoa did it, everyone wants to enroll a semester early so they can play spring ball. I like it because I think there is less chance of losing a commit if they are planning on graduating early and enrolling early.

I'm glad to see that Hawaii players are now taking football seriously, to another level, like the mainland. We all know the good and bad of that. With the success of these recent local guys, pros and college, you can't fault them or their families.

That head start in football would be valuable, like the jump start on reading. We seen many players that we wish they have "one more year" of college legibility.

On the flip side, football is a lot different than basketball. Is his body ready? He will be going up against grown men.

Recall how Punahou signed Mosi Tatupu. IIRC, he was living in Kalihi, and therefore suppose to be Farrington. Punahou threw him back to the 10 grade. Their reason was "academic." But we all knew he was there for football only. So his senior year at Punahou, he was 20 years old man in beast mode, going up against 160lb boys. And carry defenders across the goal-line. Mosi was the reason why OIA set that age rule.